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Body found in burned out car not suspicious

9:17 AM Thursday Dec 6, 2012

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Heavy duty equipment was used to remove a body from a burned out car found near Taupo.

The Fire Service was called to reports of smoke in the Ohakuri area, close to State Highway 1, shortly before 10am yesterday. After putting out the fire they discovered a body in a burned out car and notified police.

Police were at the scene from about 12pm yesterday trying to piece together what had happened and to remove the body from the scene.

A police spokeswoman said the area had been cordoned off and a scene examination took several hours.

A post mortem examination is expected to be held today.

When The Daily Post arrived at the scene yesterday afternoon, several police cars and fire service vehicles were parked at an entrance to the forest on State Highway 1.

Police tape blocked off entrances to a forestry road where the body was believed to have been found.

Fire safety officers from Rotorua and Taupo were at the scene.

Fire crews left after initially putting out the blaze, but later returned to the scene to help remove the body from the car. The body was taken from the scene last night.

Firefighters were seen carrying the jaws of life to the car, which could not be seen from the road.

Detective Senior Sergeant Graham Perks this morning said there was nothing which suggested the death was suspicious.

"However enquiries are ongoing and the post mortem examination needs to be completed to provide us with information about the cause of death," he said.

"It may be some time before full results of that process are known."

He said police believed they knew the identity of the deceased but would not comment any further until the identity had been confirmed and family had been advised.